besiege
gb/bɪsˈid͡ʒ/ us/bɪsˈid͡ʒ/
C1
English
Senses
0 senses
Verb
C1
action
1
surround a place to capture it
To surround a place in war and try to take it.
Usage pattern:
besiege [place]
Common mistake:
Learners sometimes use *siege* (noun) where the verb *besiege* is needed (e.g., 'They siege the city' → 'They besiege the city').
Synonyms
lay siege to (Direct near-synonym; common alternative phrasing.)
|
encircle (More general; may not imply an attempt to force surrender.)
|
blockade (Emphasizes cutting off supplies and access, often by sea or by routes.)
Antonyms
relieve (To free a place from a siege by driving away the attackers.)
|
withdraw (To pull forces back instead of surrounding and attacking.)
Collocations
besiege a city
|besiege a castle
|besiege a fortress
|besiege the capital
|a besieged town
|a besieged stronghold
|besieged for months
|a besieging army
|lift the siege
|relieve a besieged garrison
Themes
war_history
|politics
|news
Examples
- The army besieged the city for six months before it surrendered.
- Rebels besieged the fortress, cutting off food and water.
- The capital was besieged on all sides, and civilians were evacuated.
Learner examples
- The soldiers besieged the castle.
- The city was besieged for weeks.
Verb
C1
action
2
crowd tightly around someone
To gather all around someone so they cannot move easily.
Usage pattern:
besiege [someone/place]
Common mistake:
Because it has a war meaning, learners may avoid it in everyday contexts; it can be used figuratively for crowds, especially in news writing.
Synonyms
swarm (Suggests many people moving around actively.)
|
mob (More informal and often implies rough or uncontrolled behavior.)
|
surround (Neutral and general; not as strong as besiege.)
Antonyms
disperse (To break up and move away instead of gathering tightly.)
|
leave (To go away rather than crowd around.)
Collocations
besieged by reporters
|besieged by fans
|besieged by photographers
|besiege the entrance
|besiege the exit
|besiege the gates
|besiege the desk
|besiege the counter
|a besieged celebrity
|a besieged building
Themes
daily_life
|news_media
|entertainment
Examples
- As she left the courthouse, reporters besieged her with cameras and microphones.
- Fans besieged the hotel entrance when the band arrived.
- The help desk was besieged by passengers after the flight was cancelled.
Learner examples
- Reporters besieged the actor outside the studio.
Verb
C1
action
3
overwhelm with many requests
To ask someone again and again for things or information.
Usage pattern:
besiege [someone] with [questions/requests/messages]
Common mistake:
Learners may use *besiege* without 'with' in this meaning; in modern English, 'besiege someone with...' is very common.
Synonyms
bombard (Very common in this figurative meaning; often 'bombard with questions'.)
|
pester (More informal and focuses on annoyance.)
|
deluge (Emphasizes a large volume arriving quickly, often messages or requests.)
Antonyms
spare (To refrain from bothering someone with more questions or demands.)
|
leave alone (To stop contacting or pressuring someone.)
Collocations
besiege someone with questions
|besiege someone with requests
|besiege someone with emails
|besiege someone with calls
|besiege the office with complaints
|besiege customer service
|besieged with inquiries
|besieged with messages
|besieged with applications
|besieged with demands
Themes
business
|communication
|daily_life
Examples
- After the announcement, the company was besieged with requests for interviews.
- New parents are often besieged with advice from relatives and friends.
- The manager was besieged with questions about the new policy.
Learner examples
- Students besieged the teacher with questions.
Verb
formal
C2
action
4
trouble someone with worries
To make someone feel surrounded by problems or worries.
Usage pattern:
[problems/doubts/fears] besiege [someone] | be besieged by [problems/doubts]
Common mistake:
This meaning is usually figurative and often appears in the passive ('was besieged by doubts'); it is less common in casual speech.
Synonyms
beset (Close synonym meaning 'troubled by'; often used with problems.)
|
plague (Suggests something that keeps causing trouble repeatedly.)
Antonyms
reassure (To reduce worries rather than cause them.)
|
comfort (To ease distress rather than intensify it.)
Collocations
besieged by doubts
|besieged by fears
|besieged by problems
|besieged by difficulties
|besieged by anxiety
|besieged by uncertainty
|besieged by guilt
|besieged by setbacks
|besieged by illness
|besieged by debt
Themes
emotions
|health
|daily_life
Examples
- She was besieged by doubts as the deadline approached.
- For years, the community was besieged by unemployment and rising rents.
- He felt besieged by worries he couldn’t explain.
Learner examples
- He was besieged by worries.
Grammar
Dictionary form
besiege
IPA
GB/bɪsˈid͡ʒ/
US/bɪsˈid͡ʒ/
Syllables & stress
be - siege (2 syllables)
Stress on 2nd syllable (siege)
Word forms
Verb
- Base: besiege
- 3rd Person Singular: besieges
- Present Participle: besieging
- Past: besieged
Word family
Forms
besieges
verb
besieging
verb
besieged
verb
Core family
siege
noun B2
Advanced or less common
besieger
noun
Expressions
be besieged by
1/bˈi bɪsˈid͡ʒd bˈaɪ/
fixed phrase
be overwhelmed or crowded
To have many people or problems around you at once.
Examples
- After the speech, she was besieged by journalists.
- The support team was besieged by complaints all morning.
- He felt besieged by doubts about the decision.
besiege someone with questions
1/bɪsˈid͡ʒ sˈʌmwˌʌn wˈɪθ kwˈɛst͡ʃənz/
fixed phrase
ask many questions repeatedly
To ask someone lots of questions again and again.
Examples
- The children besieged him with questions about the trip.
- After the meeting, staff besieged the director with questions about layoffs.
- She tried to leave, but fans besieged her with questions and photos.